Machines

Some of the machinery and equipment used by miners over the centuries.

Wooden pipes used for water transport in early pits. This one was used in the Old Darren Mines in the Longford area outside Neath and is estimated to be 200 to 300 years old. It is made from Elm and was carved using hand tools. It is now on display at the South Wales Miners’ Museum.

Explosives were often used underground.

Steam Haul Engine — Between 1840 and 1850 underground haulage began to improve and extend the use of Endless Ropes and Main and Tail Ropes being variously employed on level roads on malleable iron edge rails instead of cast iron tram plates. This Steam Endless Haulage Engine was manufactured in 1864 and worked hauling the drams at Marine Colliery in Cwm, Monmouth which closed in 1989, it is now on display at the South Wales Miners’ Museum.

Coal Dram — Early coal dram now on display at the South Wales Miners’ Museum.

Blaenrhondda — The nameplate from Blaenrhondda station and dram wheels on display at the South Wales Miners’ Museum.

Pit Winding Capel — This is a Pit Winding Rope Capel which was used on the end of Pit Winding Ropes and Haulage Ropes underground for the purposes of attachment to attach to Pit Cages in the Pit Shafts and journeys of trams underground. They varied in size depending on the size of rope used. This one worked in the Glyncorrwg Colliery (better known as the South Pit) which was sunk in 1906 and closed in May 1970. It was the last colliery to close in the Afan Valley.

Balance Winch — The Balance Winch enabled the method of lowering full drams of coal down an incline; it was also known as a Self Acting Incline. This one was used in the Empire Colliery in the Vale of Neath and is estimated to be over 100 years old, it is now on display at the South Wales Miners’ Museum.

Detaching Hooks — This is me with the Detachment Hooks we have on display at the South Wales Miners’ Museum, they were used at the Empire Colliery in the Vale of Neath. Detaching Hooks came into general use in 1872 and were used in conjunction with Capels to prevent over winding by the winding engine at the Pit top.

Looking down the shaft at the Garw Colliery in December 1985. They were just about to fill it in. It took 11 days to fill in.

Winding Sheaves — 2 spare Winding Sheaves at Lady Windsor Colliery. They are 17 feet in diameter.

The top of the pit shaft at Ffaldau Colliery.

Pit Head Sheave Wheel — This Pit Head Sheave Wheel was used at St. John’s Colliery in Maesteg until its closure in 1985 and was donated to the South Wales Miners’ Museum by the National Coal Board. It is probably the most recognisable symbol of coal mining.

Below ground — Below ground at the coal face. The roof is supported by the hydraulic roof supports.

Roof props — Below ground at the coal face. The roof is supported by the hydraulic roof supports. You can see the conveyor belt which transported the coal.

Pit props — At the coal face. The coal cutter would spin along the coal face and shear the coal off onto the conveyor belt.

Coal face — Below ground at the coal face. It was very dirty work even in the modern day.

the 'Banksman' — Empty drams waiting to go down the pit at St. John’s Colliery. This is the ‘Banksman’, it was his job to signal to the winder when the drams were ready.

These drams have just come up the pit and are being pulled along by a 'creeper' they are on their way to the 'tumbler' to be emptied. — These drams have just come up the pit and are being pulled along by a ‘creeper’ they are on their way to the ‘tumbler’ to be emptied.

coal dram — This dram has just come out of the cage from the pit.

The Tumbler — The ‘tumbler’ at Ffaldau Colliery. The full dram would be rotated and its contents emptied onto the ‘screens’ below.

Dram Tumbler — Drams waiting to go into the ‘tumbler’ at St. John’s Colliery.

Dram Tumbler — The ‘tumbler’ at Wyndham Colliery in Ogmore Vale.

Winding Engine — The electric winding engine in Wyndham Colliery. This photo was taken during the miners’ strike in 1985.

Compressor — Compressor from St. John’s Colliery in the Llynfi valley. It was being dismantled for maintenance work.

One of the 3 air compressors at the Ffaldau Colliery. They made a tremendous noise. I feel sorry for the people who lived nearby because they were hammering all day long.

Fan House — The fan house at Ffaldau Colliery. It drew the foul air up from the pit via the ‘upcast shaft’.

Compressors — One of the 3 compressors at the Ffaldau Colliery.

Compressors — This is one of the 3 compressors at the Ffaldau Colliery. Here they are being dismantled after the pit’s closure in about 1985.

Ffaldau Colliery Compressors — One of the 3 compressors at the Ffaldau Colliery. Being dismantled in 1985 after the pit’s closure.

Fan House — The fan house at Ffaldau Colliery. It drew the foul air up from the pit via the ‘upcast shaft’. Another very noisy place!

One of the 3 compressors at the Ffaldau Colliery.

Air compressors — One of the 3 air compressors at the Ffaldau Colliery. They made a tremendous noise. I feel sorry for the people who lived nearby because they were hammering all day long.

Compressors — One of the 3 compressors at the Ffaldau Colliery. Not a patch on the old steam compressor though. What beautiful machines they were!

Winding House — The winding house in the Ffaldau Colliery. The machine was made by Metropolitan Vickers. You could tell how deep a colliery was by how big the drum was. This is comparatively small as Ffaldau Colliery was a mere 300 yards deep.

The 'winder' at St. John's Colliery. — The ‘winder’ at St. John’s Colliery.

Compressor — The compressor from St. John’s Colliery. This is one of the smaller types. I think there were 2 in that compressor house. They all had their different styles.

Winder number 2 at St. John's Colliery. — Winder number 2 at St. John’s Colliery.

Winder — The ‘winder’ at Western Colliery in Nantymoel. It was a double drum which was clutch operated. The pit was about 500 yards deep and as a result the drum was much larger. When the pit was closed in 1984 the salvage man told me that he sold it to a mine in South Africa for £30,000.

The 'winder' at St. John's Colliery. — The ‘winder’ at St. John’s Colliery.

Winder — The winding engine house at Caerau Colliery in the Llynfi Valley. Winders were usually brightly painted like this one.

The 'winder' in Wynham Colliery. — The ‘winder’ in Wynham Colliery.

The 'winder' at the Ffaldau Colliery. — The ‘winder’ at the Ffaldau Colliery.

The conveyor belt at Western Colliery, Nantymoel feeding coal into the 'bunker' which in turn loaded the trucks. — THE MACHINES

Twin Drum haulage — The twin-drum haulage engine at Abercynon Colliery. It was originally used in the sinking of the pit.

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